April 2012 archive

Tahoe Ski Resorts Close for 2012

Hats off to the Tahoe resorts that stayed open through this weekend. It has been a tough year and it costs money to run those lifts, but the late season snow has been good so they have damned the torpedoes and kept straight ahead. Even if the parking lots were only half full, at least …

Keep making backcountry turns

One last hurrah for Eleven-12?

Figuring out whether to head out to grab a few turns Friday morning has been a colossal waste of internet time. My midday drive to get a workout in at the local pool told me more than perusing my fave local weather sites, including Tahoe Weather Discussion. I can hardly blame Bryan Allegretto, it is …

Keep making backcountry turns

Hull Mt. March 28, 2012

The scaled skis worked well without the use of skins. The snow was still fresh. Breaking trail in fresh snow at Hull usually means sinking in a few inches. Wet, dense snow that sticks to everything. This day was no exception.

Review: OR’s Trailbreaker Pants

When the zipper on the right hand pocket of my Mammut Champ pants went south (after something like 700 days of use) it was time to look for a new pair of ski pants. They had to be breathable softshell with an ability to shed snow, not cling to it, with cargo pockets but not …

Keep making backcountry turns

Visons in Valdez

In the short history of backcountry skiing, this has been not only the best skiing in the world this season, but possibly the best ski season ever, anywhere.

TR: Hull Mt., April 18, 2012

Headed up to Hull again. I was jibbing solo. The weather was warm. I was hoping for more fog. If the sun came out, the snow would not be good. Lucky for me, the weather report was showing a chance of rain. Oh, good. Cloud cover to protect the snow. I drove up Tuesday. Lots …

Keep making backcountry turns

TR: Hull Mt. April 11, 2012

After 17 years of skiing Hull Mountain, I was finally forced to find another way in. I’ve always wanted to explore approaching the mountain from another road but it’s been just too easy all this time. Boardman Ridge road leads right to the summit but now it’s closed in winter. However, it’s hard to keep …

Keep making backcountry turns